“I’m not,” I say, opening my eyes to look at him. “You are a monster, Soren, but only by nature. He wakes up every day and chooses cruelty. You battle it every single day to maintain some sense of humanity. It’s how you got shot.”
“No, that was because…”
“Because you refused to kill a dog,” I remind him. “That’s what you told Micah after, right? You didn’t go in because there was a dog. I’d like to think that you can accurately judge a man based on how he treats innocent animals and children.”
“Talia,” he says. “You’re stalling. Are you sure you want to come in?”
“I need to do this.”
“No, you don’t,” he argues. “You do not have to face him, Talia.”
“I need to,” I say again, but quieter. “I need to show myself how far I’ve come.”
“Okay,” he says. “If you want to leave for any reason at all, take one of the guys with you. You are never to be alone. Understand?”
“I understand.”
Soren gets out of the driver’s seat before walking around to open my door. Slipping out of my seat, I am trembling. Soren keeps his hand on the small of my back as we walk.
When we get into the mall, people are walking around like there aren’t literal traffickers in here. My head is on a swivel, trying to spot Henry before he spots us. Micah said everything is handled and I am safe, but they don’t know him like I do.
We get to the food court and sit at a table with the guys. They are strategically positioned to see all around us. Soren has me pulled close to him and never takes his hands off me.
“Heads up,” Micah says. My entire body senses him before he gets close. I lean into Soren, desperate to escape already.
“Afternoon,” Henry says. “Talia.”
I drop my head as hot tears fill my eyes.
“Why am I being summoned to a mall?” Henry says, sitting across from me.
“Let’s cut the shit,” Soren says. “You know what I am, and I know you don’t want me to react to you shooting me in the fucking head.”
“Technically, I didn’t shoot you,” he muses. “What is your point?”
“Your guard, Greg, attacked Talia last night,” Soren says, and I can feel Henry staring at me. “Talia is my mate, and I will not allow him to breathe after putting his hands on her.”
“I was not aware that he did that. What happened?” Henry asks. Soren nudges me, and I look up at him.
“Do you want me to explain?” Soren asks.
“I’d like to hear it from her,” Henry says. “What happened, Talia?”
“He came into the house…” I start.
“You will walk away from here with Soren, so please look at me when you speak,” Henry says in a weirdly calm voice. I don’t trust it, but I look up at him anyway.
“He came into the house and raped me,” I say. “He beat me half to death, and then shot me.”
“She was nearly dead when I found her, and she wouldn’t have survived if I hadn’t been able to heal her,” Soren says. “So you have two options.”
“Go on,” Henry says.
“You can hand over Greg, or I will kill you, him, and everyone involved with you,” Soren says. “No matter how this goes, I will fucking kill him for touching my mate.”
“I will have him delivered within the day,” Henry says. “We will handle our situation with you killing my client and taking my property.”
“My mate is not your property,” Soren growls.
